Sergio Garcia’s first-ever major championship win at The Masters would be special on any day of the year. But it just so happens to come on one very, very special day for Garcia, for Spain, and for golf fans all over the world.
Sergio Garcia’s breakthrough Masters win comes on what would have been idol Seve Ballesteros’ 60th birthday
The emotional win for Garcia came on his late mentor’s birthday, and it’s a huge moment for Spain.
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
On Sunday, three-time Masters champion and Spanish golf great Seve Ballesteros would’ve turned 60 years old. The impactful, transcendent Hall of Famer passed away far too young in 2011 after a battle with brain cancer. Garcia, who considered Ballesteros an idol and a mentor who paved the way for Spanish golf youngsters, said earlier in the week he wanted to win the title for Seve.
“He brought so much not only to the game, but to Spain,” Garcia said. “Basically, he’s a hero. So hopefully, we’ll be standing here and we’ll be talking about that, that feeling again. That would be the best thing that could happen to me, and you know, I’m going to do my best to make sure that I’m here to tell you how it feels.”
Well. On Sunday, we’re here talking about it — and Sergio was talking about it after his big breakthrough.
“It’s amazing,” he told Jim Nantz in Butler Cabin after the round. “To do it, for Seve, for (two-time champion Jose Maria) Olazabal. my two idols in golf. It’s something amazing. Jose sent me a text on Wednesday night, telling me how much he believed in me. Believing in myself, being calm. Not letting things get to me.”
One of the many congratulations pouring in for Sergio came from Seve’s son Javier, who is a professional golfer in his own right.
What a moment for Sergio — and what a moment for the entire nation of Spain.
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